Befriending
Many people are left isolated after a stroke. They find themselves cut off from work colleagues, sports clubs or other places where they used to enjoy social contact. Friends and family can find it difficult to talk to them.
Yet for many people, it’s a time when they need support and human contact more than ever.
Our befriending scheme provides a friendly face and a listening ear, company and informal emotional and practical support to help people affected by stroke to get back to life.
Our befriending scheme is delivered by trained volunteers who are supported by a professional service co-ordinator.
It is usually attached to the Information, Advice and Support Service, but health and social care providers can commission the befriending scheme in its own right.
The volunteers are usually stroke survivors. They understand what it means to have your life changed by stroke, and the peer support they provide is credible, relevant and inspiring. Their own recovery shows people affected by stroke that life goes on.
Outcomes
• Reduced isolation and improved social interaction for people affected by stroke
• Stroke survivors gain emotional and practical support to aid their recovery
• Carers receive vital respite
Return to the Life After Stroke Services model
‘I try to find out who they were before they had their stroke. That’s the person I connect with. People need to be talked to like human beings, not patients.’ Amanda, stroke survivor and befriender with The Stroke Association